The invention relates to fluid reaction surfaces such as impellers and the like. More in particular, the invention relates to rotors having flow confining or deflecting webs, shrouds or continuous passages. Material blenders are exemplified by such devices as U.S. Pat. No. 2,692,127 to Conn. Conn discloses an improved blender comprising a spindle carrying adjacent one end an outwardly extending annular disc. The disc has circumferentially spaced openings extending therethrough wherein material deflecting hoods carried by the disc extend across the openings for directing material through the openings from one side of the disc to the other. Deflectors are carried by the disc and extend outwardly from the side thereof remote from the hoods in advance of the openings.
Another example of a blending apparatus is U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,577 to Conn. In this patent, Conn discloses peripheral teeth which alternate in an up-and-down pattern. As a group, the teeth may be inclined relative to the plane of the disc at angles varying over a wide range. Thus, in FIG. 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,577, mixing teeth are disclosed which angle at an inclination to the plane of the disc approximately 45 degrees.
While the apparatus of Conn provides certain degrees of mixing, cutting and masticating, there is room for improvement such that mixing and blending can be effected more efficiently with less energy expense. Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which blends, mixes and masticates material more efficiently than the prior art devices. It is another object of the invention to provide a rotor disc having mixing teeth located on peripheral edges which not only alternate in up-and-down patterns and vary in angular inclination to the plane of the disc over a range of degrees, but which provides mixing teeth which vary one from another in angular inclinations to the plane of the disc such that mixing, masticating and blending occur more rapidly and in a less regular fashion.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a disc which presents an irregular cutting pattern and irregular transmitting of materials through the openings such that more efficient mixing, blending and cutting occur.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an apparatus having one or more stirrers mounted on one or more shafts to provide different mixing patterns and degrees of mixing.
It is still yet another object of the invention to provide stirrers that may be left- and right-handed to increase mixing and mastication.
These and other further objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the foregoing and following specification, claims and drawings.